While the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry is closed to visitors, we still want to bring you exciting puppetry-related events online!

We will offer short, puppet-building and craft workshops via Facebook Live every Wednesday and Friday at 2 p.m. ET!

All past workshops are available on our website, Facebook and YouTube.

Upcoming Workshops: 

Wednesday, 8/19: “Puppets for the Screen Performance Workshop” with Felicia Cooper and Elise Vanase

We’ve spent so much time this summer building puppets! Let’s let them do what they do best—perform! Learn tips and tricks for performing puppets on screen in this age of virtual meetings and performances. Recommended for ages 5+. 

Materials needed: Peepers! If you don’t have a pair, that’s okay! Puppeteer Hobey Ford will show you how to quickly make a set here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZejPKU683Y

Friday, 8/21: “Painting Puppets Workshop” with Elise Vanase

**Our final Summer Online Puppet-building Workshop!

Painting is an important part of the puppet-making process! Learn how to effectively paint a puppet for theater, as well as how to create cool textures with what you have around the house. Recommended ages 4+.

Materials needed: paint, paint brushes, newspaper, plastic wrap, something to paint (papier-mâché or newspaper and masking tape heads are great), optional: netting, old toothbrush, sponge

Past Workshops:

Wednesday, 3/25:  “Paper Puppets” led by Ballard Institute graduate assistant and UConn Puppet Arts student Felicia Cooper

Using paper, tape, and scissors, create fun and funky characters! Recommended for ages 4+.

Materials needed: paper, tape, scissors, markers, crayons, pencils

Friday, 3/27: “Fun Toy Theater Workshop!” with Ballard Institute Director John Bell

Make and perform a miniature 2-D puppet spectacle about anything your heart desires, using household materials and re-purposed images. See Great Small Works’ “Short, Entertaining History of Toy Theater” here: https://vimeo.com/41259631. Recommended for ages 7+.

Materials needed: a cardboard box (any size will do; small is good); cardboard (cereal box cardboard is best); colored paper; images from magazines, newspapers, or the internet; tape; gluestick or white glue; coathanger wire, barbecue skewers, pencils, or other like objects; scissors; if you want to get fancy: hot glue gun, pliers, string or fishline

Wednesday, 4/1: Simple Dinosaur Marionette Workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts graduate student Abby Bosley

Make a simple dinosaur or dragon string puppet using things you have laying around your home. Recommended for ages 7+ (adult help may be required as there may be poking sharp things into paper or plastic cups).

Materials needed: 2 toilet paper rolls (or a paper towel roll cut in half) or 2 paper cups (plastic also works); string, yarn, or ribbon; popsicle sticks, straws, sticks, or pencils; something for feet like bottle caps from soda bottles, washers, buttons, beads; masking tape; paper; pen; hole punch; scissors; markers; anything else to decorate your puppet (pipe cleaners, beads, tissue paper, fabric, etc); hot glue is optional

Friday, 4/3: Hand Shadows Workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts student Tracy Becker

Have you ever made hand shadows on a wall? Learn how to create hand shadow shows with shadow people, animals, and more! Recommended for ages 5+.

Materials needed (besides your hands!): light source (flashlight, phone light, or lamp will all work, as long as the light is projected somewhere); wall or floor space to project shadows; paper and scissors is helpful for some puppets, but not required

Wednesday, 4/8: “Paper Shadows Workshop” with Tracy Becker

Make and perform simple paper shadow puppets with materials you already have at home! Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: light source (flashlight recommended, but a lamp or phone light will also work); wall or floor space to project shadows; paper; scissors; handles for the puppets (this can be skewers, chopsticks, pencils, straws, popsicle sticks); tape or glue to attach handles; markers, crayons, or colored pencils can be fun but aren’t required; white fabric (can be hung up to make a shadow screen, but isn’t required ); optional to play with: any object that might have an interesting shadow, plastic wrap and markers are optional supplies to use as an alternative to lighting gel

Friday, 4/10: “Anything Can Be A Puppet! Object Performance Exploration!” with Felicia Cooper

Use household objects to explore movement, expression, and storytelling! We’ll discover movement patterns and gesture, working towards character development. Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: anything around you (check in with a grown up if it doesn’t belong to you)

Wednesday, 4/15: “Rod Puppet Workshop” with Abby Bosley

Make a simple rod puppet with materials you have lying around your home! Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: newspaper; tape; a toilet paper roll or paper cup: markers; string, yarn, or ribbon; 3 chopsticks, skewers, straws, or pencils (for your rods); scissors; hole punch; colored paper, fabric, pipe cleaners, cardboard, beads, or anything else to decorate!; optional: Hot glue

Friday, 4/17: “Sock Puppet Workshop” with Maggie Flanagan

Make a fun sock puppet with your stray socks and a few items you can find around your house! Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: sock; cardboard and felt; construction paper or markers; items to use for eyes (buttons, plastic Easter eggs, ping pong balls, or egg carton); any decorations you’d like to add: feathers, pompoms, and beads; hot glue; optional: you can use bits of fluff and cut up rags to make puffy noses/heads/bumps

Wednesday, 4/22: “Mask Making Techniques” with Abby Bosley 

Learn to make two different types of masks: one using folded paper or cardboard and one that is made up of just a single cereal box and glue! Recommended for ages 5+.

Materials needed: cereal box (or any box); hot glue, but any glue will work; scissors; scrap paper; tape; hole punch; string or elastic; scissors; anything else to decorate (paint, markers, etc); optional materials: X-Acto blade or box cutter

Friday, 4/24: “Stop-Motion Workshop” with Tracy Becker

Learn how to make your very own stop-motion movie at home! Recommended for ages 5+.

Materials needed: phone or tablet; objects for stop motion (This can be anything! Toys, clay, paper, or any type of puppet will all work); optional additional materials: cardboard, a tripod, lamps or flashlights, or any other decorations you might want to use; recommended apps: Stop Motion Studio Free Version: https://www.cateater.com/ or StikBot Studio 2.0: https://stikbot.toys/app/

Wednesday, 4/29, Friday, 5/1, Wednesday, 5/6: “STEAM Workshops!” with Felicia Cooper

Join us online on Wednesday 4/29, Friday 5/1, and Wednesday 5/6 for a three-session exploration of STEAM in Puppetry! The culmination of an independent study by graduate student Felicia Cooper, these workshops will give an overview of the engineering principles that appear in the puppet design process. Learn about simple machines, methods of attachment, three-dimensional sketching, and using repurposed materials. In the spirit of the maker movement, we will engage in the iterative process and creative thinking as we celebrate the intersection of puppetry and STEAM education! Participate in one, two, or all three of the sessions. Recommended for ages 7+.

4/29: Session 1: design with recycled materials and work from two dimensions to three to make a prototype puppet! We’ll talk about dimensions and the planning process. For this one, you’ll need tape, recycled materials, cardboard, newspaper, paper, pencil, and a ruler. 

Wednesday, 6/10: “Jellyfish Puppet Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase

Make an ethereal jellyfish with life-like movements out of just a paper bowl and a plastic bag! Recommended for ages 5+.

Materials needed: paper bowl, scissors, plastic bags, paint or markers, yarn, tape or hot glue

Friday, 6/12: “Make a Puppet of Your Pet!” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase

Do you love your pets as much as we do? Come make a rod puppet of one of them! Recommended for ages 7+.

Materials needed: newspaper, masking tape, paint, yarn or string, 3 one-foot-long sticks (chopsticks, skewers, unused pencils, or even straws will all work!)

Wednesday, 6/17: “Clothespin Puppet Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase

Did you used to pretend that your clothespins could speak? Come turn them into talking puppets with us! Recommended for ages 4+.

Materials needed: cereal box cardboard, hot glue, paint/markers, pipe cleaners, yarn, clothespins

Friday, 6/19: “Toilet Paper Roll Marionette Workshop” with UConn Puppet Arts senior Elise Vanase

Start making use of all of those finished toilet paper rolls and turn them into a marionette! Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: two toilet paper rolls, spare cereal box cardboard, three popsicle sticks/skewers, hot glue, yarn/string, pipe cleaners, markers/paint

Wednesday, 7/8: “Direct Manipulation with Stuffed Animals!” with Abby Bosley (pre-recorded)

Join us for a pre-recorded workshop led by UConn Puppet Arts Program alumna Abby Bosley as she shows us how to turn your stuffed animals or toys into puppets! This workshop is a great two-person activity, so bring a friend! Recommended for ages 5+.

Materials needed: stuffed animals or toys (preferably ones that can be manipulated or moved)

Friday, 7/10: “Toy Theater Aquarium Workshop” with Elise Vanase 

Don’t want the responsibility of owning fish? Come make your very own toy theater aquarium and fish out of a cereal box! Recommended for ages 7+.

Materials needed: cereal box, scissors, paint/markers, hot glue, tape, pipe cleaners

Wednesday, 7/15: “Puppets for Demonstrations Workshop” with Felicia Cooper

With so many opportunities to use striking images, voices, and sounds in public spaces, here’s a way to make it even louder! Perfect for neighborhood parades or activist events in your community, puppets have been a significant part of public demonstrations throughout history! Recommended for ages 9+.

Materials needed: big sticks, paper maché, cardboard, tape, newspaper, scissors, glue, fabric, and an idea!

This workshop is made possible with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Friday, 7/17: “Nature Puppets Workshop” with Elise Vanase

Make some simple, beautiful puppets out of natural materials you can find in your own backyard! Recommended for ages 6+.

Materials needed: sticks, leaves, yarn, hot glue or tape, paint, googly eyes

Join the Ballard Institute for our eighth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook. These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

In a pre-recorded forum released on July 23 at 4 p.m. ET entitled “Puppetry, Anthropology, and Animation” Teri Silvio will speak with John Bell about the intersections of Chinese hand-puppet traditions, Japanese manga and anime, cosplay, religion, fan culture, and Pili Multimedia Company’s globally popular Thunderbolt Fantasy series.

Teri Silvio is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Ethnology, Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan. She has conducted ethnographic research on puppetry, animation, design, fandoms, theater, and gender and sexuality in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Southeast Asia. Her most recent book is Puppets, Gods, and Brands: Theorizing the Age of Animation from Taiwan.

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Join the Ballard Institute for our sixth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

On July 16 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “A Long and Unexpected Love Affair (with Puppetry),” puppeteer and scholar Penny Francis will speak with John Bell about her work creating the Puppet Centre Trust in London, her book Puppetry, a Reader in Theatre Practice; her translation of Henryk Jurkowski’s ground-breaking History of European Puppetry; her puppetry teaching at London’s famed Central School of Speech and Drama; and her long-standing work with the international puppetry organization UNIMA.

Penny Francis is England’s pre-eminent figure in the international world of puppetry. A longtime teacher at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama puppet program, she is also the author, editor, and translator of many acclaimed books and publications about puppetry, and has played an essential role in the work of UNIMA, the world puppetry organization. Queen Elizabeth II decorated her as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) for her services to puppetry in 1998.

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. 

Join the Ballard Institute for our sixth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

On July 9 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “Woman Behind the Shadows: My Journey with Puppets and Tradition in Bali and Beyond,” Professor Jennifer Goodlander of Indiana University will speak with John Bell about her research on traditional and contemporary puppetry in Bali, including the roles of women in the form, and how puppetry in helps define cultural and national identity in Southeast Asia.

Jennifer Goodlander is an Associate Professor at Indiana University in the Department of Comparative Literature, where she teaches classes on Indonesian and global theater, literature, and other arts. Jennifer has published numerous articles and two books: Women in the Shadows: Gender, Puppets, and the Power of Tradition in Bali (Ohio University Press, 2016), and Puppets and Cities: Articulating Identities in Southeast Asia (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2018). Her current research looks at transnational Southeast Asian identities as expressed in performance, literature, and art. Jennifer is also the current President for the Association of Asian Performance.

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Join the Ballard Institute for our fifth Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

On July 2 at 4 p.m. ET, in a forum entitled “Thinking through the Puppet,” Professor Claudia Orenstein of Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center will speak with John Bell about her research on women in puppetry, puppets and spirituality, contemporary Indian puppetry, how people watch and understand puppet performance, and how puppetry studies might be taught.

Claudia Orenstein is Professor of Theatre at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She has spent over a decade writing on contemporary and traditional puppetry in the US and Asia, and her recent publications include the co-edited volumes Women and Puppetry (with Alissa Mello and Cariad Astles,) and The Routledge Companion to Puppetry and Material Performance (with John Bell and Dassia Posner). With John Bell she has co-organized three editions of the Critical Exchange forum series at Puppeteers of American National Festivals; and with Dassia Posner, Alissa Mello, and Lawrence Switzky, heads up the Puppetry and Material Performance Working Group for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. 

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Join the Ballard Institute for our third Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

On June 25 at 4 p.m. ET, Join Ballard Institute director John Bell for a discussion with Bread and Puppet Theater director Peter Schumann about his current socially-distant performances of Insurrection-Resurrection Services at the theater’s farm in Glover, Vermont, and the challenges of making a puppet theater of “praise and denunciation” in the summer of 2020, a time of pandemic and historic change. “The important thing is the moment,” Schumann says; “how do we treat it? How do we treat other people in this moment? We need to deal with the real reality, not the fake reality.” Bell and Schumann will also discuss Bread and Puppet Theater’s approaches to collaboration, racism, and other aspects of theater making, and Schumann’s inspirations from the German romantic poet Friedrich Hölderlin, and 16th-century Silesian cobbler and mystic philosopher Jakob Böhme.

Peter Schumann is the founder and director of the Bread and Puppet Theater, which has been making “cheap art” and political theater since its inception in New York City in 1963. Now based on a farm in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Bread and Puppet Theater tours locally, nationally, and internationally, and has been one of the most influential theater companies of the 20th and 21st century. Long an inspiration for activist art makers, puppeteers, and bread bakers, Bread and Puppet’s unique approach to community engagement, collective theater making, and modernist avant-garde puppetry inspires hundreds of puppeteers who have worked with the company, and thousands of volunteer performers and audience members.

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Join the Ballard Institute for our third Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.  

On June 18 at 4 p.m. ET, Professor Scott Shershow of University of California, Davis will speak with John Bell about “Object Lessons: Material Culture and Humanistic Studies,” and how puppets and performing objects have been part of literary studies, the new philosophic field of “object-oriented ontology,” and even such mundane subjects as bread and the nature of letters.

Scott Cutler Shershow is Professor of English at the University of California, Davis.  He is the author of Puppets and “Popular” Culture (Cornell University 1995) and of other articles and books on theater, popular culture and critical theory.  His most recent books are Bread, from Bloomsbury’s “Object Lessons” series, (2016); and The Love of Ruins: Letters on Lovecraft (SUNY 2017).  

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Join the Ballard Institute for our second Summer 2020 Online Puppet Forum Series event on Facebook Live! These forums, hosted by Ballard Institute director and puppet historian John Bell, will consist of discussions with notable scholars and practitioners around the world about the past, present, and future of puppetry and puppetry studies.

On June 11 at 4 p.m. ET, Theodora Skipitares will speak with John Bell about “Puppetry and Translation, from Autobiography to Benjamin Banneker.” Skipitares will discuss the development of her work from visual art to performance art and puppetry, and her ongoing focus on translating biography into puppet performance, most recently with The Transfiguration of Benjamin Banneker, which relates the surprisingly little-known story of an 18th-century free black man, independent farmer, self-taught astronomer, mathematician and civil rights advocate.

Theodora Skipitares is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and theater director based in New York. Trained as a sculptor and designer, she is the author/director of 30 performance works, each featuring documentary texts, original music, video, and as many as 300 puppet figures. She is a resident artist at La MaMa Theater. Ms. Skipitares has worked and taught master classes in Brazil, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, and Iran. She is a Professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Forums will be available afterwards on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.